UK Graduate Visa 2026: Eligibility, Cost, and Application Guide

The UK Graduate Visa 2026 allows eligible international students to remain in the United Kingdom after completing an approved course. It provides temporary permission to work, look for employment, become self-employed, and gain professional experience without first obtaining employer sponsorship.

A major rule change affects the visa’s duration: most bachelor’s and master’s graduates who apply by December 31, 2026, can receive two years, while applications submitted from January 1, 2027, will normally receive only 18 months. Doctoral graduates can still receive three years.

What Is the UK Graduate Visa?

The Graduate visa is a post-study work route for international graduates who successfully complete an eligible qualification in the UK.

It is an unsponsored immigration route, which means applicants do not need:

• A job offer.
• Employer sponsorship.
• A Certificate of Sponsorship.
• A minimum salary.
• A job related to their degree.

Graduates may use the visa period to search for work, change employers, start a business, or gain experience before switching to another immigration route.

UK Graduate Visa Eligibility Requirements

You can normally apply for a UK post-study work visa when all the following conditions are met:

• You are physically present in the UK when applying.
• Your current immigration permission is a Student visa or Tier 4 General student visa.
• You successfully completed an eligible UK course.
• You studied for the minimum required period in the UK.
• Your university or education provider has notified the Home Office that you completed the course.
• Your education provider is a licensed student sponsor with a track record of compliance.
• You submit the application before your current Student visa expires.

You do not need to wait for your graduation ceremony or final certificate. You can apply once your education provider has officially reported successful completion to the Home Office.

Eligible Courses for the Graduate Visa

Most applicants qualify after completing one of these UK qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Master’s degree.
• PhD or another doctoral qualification.

Certain professional and education courses may also qualify, including:

• Postgraduate Certificate in Education, or PGCE.
• Postgraduate Diploma in Education, or PGDE.
• Approved law conversion courses.
• Legal Practice Course.
• Bar Practice Course.
• Diploma in Professional Legal Practice.
• Certain courses required for professions regulated by UK law or a public authority.

The course must normally be the same course covered by the applicant’s current Student or Tier 4 visa.

Minimum Study Period in the UK

The length of time you must have studied inside the United Kingdom depends on the total duration of the course.

Temporary travel during weekends, holidays, or official course breaks does not necessarily prevent eligibility, provided the student was based in the UK when required to attend classes or meet academic obligations.

How Long Does the UK Graduate Visa Last?

The duration depends on the qualification and the application date.

Bachelor’s and Master’s Graduates

• Applications submitted on or before December 31, 2026: two years.
• Applications submitted on or after January 1, 2027: 18 months.

PhD and Doctoral Graduates

Graduates with a PhD or another doctoral qualification can receive a three-year visa.

The visa period begins on the date the application is approved, not on the date the course was completed or the application was submitted.

UK Graduate Visa Cost in 2026

Applicants must pay both an application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Application Fee

The Graduate visa application fee is:

• £937 per applicant

Immigration Health Surcharge

The standard healthcare surcharge is currently £1,035 for each full year of permission.

The exact amount is displayed during the online application. Partners and children applying as dependants must submit separate applications and pay their own applicable fees.

Graduates working as doctors, nurses, or in eligible health and adult social care roles should also check whether the Health and Care Worker visa would be more suitable, as that route does not normally require payment of the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Documents Required for a Graduate Visa

Applicants usually need:

• A valid passport or another accepted travel document.
• The Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies reference number used for the Student visa.
• Evidence of current immigration status through an eVisa or other accepted document.
• Details of the eligible course and education provider.
• Certified translations for documents not written in English or Welsh.

Additional documents may be required when:

• A partner or child is applying as a dependant.
• A scholarship or sponsorship provider paid both tuition and living expenses during the previous 12 months.
• UK Visas and Immigration requests further evidence.

The CAS reference number can usually be found in the documents issued when the applicant received the original university offer. Students who cannot find it should contact their education provider.

How to Apply for the UK Graduate Visa

1. Confirm That the University Has Reported Completion

Contact the university if necessary to make sure it has informed the Home Office that you successfully completed the course.

2. Apply Before the Student Visa Expires

The application must be submitted while you are still in the UK and before your existing Student or Tier 4 permission expires.

3. Complete the Online Application

Applications are made through the official UK government website. Your partner and children must apply separately when eligible.

4. Prove Your Identity

Depending on your passport and immigration documents, you may need to:

• Use the UK Immigration: ID Check application.
• Create or access a UKVI account.
• Attend a UKVCAS appointment to provide fingerprints and a photograph.

5. Pay the Required Fees

Pay the application charge and Immigration Health Surcharge as part of the online process.

6. Wait for a Decision

A decision is usually issued within eight weeks after the applicant has applied, proved their identity, and submitted the required documents.

Applicants can remain in the UK while waiting. However, they must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man before receiving the decision. Leaving these areas can cause the application to be withdrawn.

Can You Work on a Graduate Visa?

The Graduate visa offers flexible work rights. Visa holders can generally:

• Work full-time or part-time.
• Work in most occupations.
• Look for employment.
• Change jobs.
• Work for multiple employers.
• Become self-employed.
• Establish a business.
• Complete unpaid voluntary work.

Graduate visa holders cannot work as professional sportspersons and cannot usually claim most public benefits or the State Pension.

Can You Study on a Graduate Visa?

Studying is permitted only when the chosen course is not eligible for sponsorship under the Student visa route.

When a new course qualifies for a Student visa, the graduate may need to switch back to the Student route instead. An Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate may also be required for certain sensitive subjects.

Can You Bring Your Family?

A partner or child can usually stay as a Graduate visa dependant only when they were already a dependant on the applicant’s current Student or Tier 4 visa.

An exception may apply to a child born in the UK during the applicant’s current Student visa period.

Eligible dependants can include:

• A husband, wife, or civil partner.
• An eligible unmarried partner.
• A child under 18.
• A child over 18 who already holds dependant permission.

Their visas normally expire on the same date as the main graduate’s visa. New partners or family members who were not Student visa dependants generally cannot be added through the Graduate route.

Can the Graduate Visa Be Extended?

The UK Graduate visa cannot be extended. A person also cannot normally receive a second Graduate visa after completing another course.

Graduates who want to remain in the UK may be able to switch to another immigration route before the visa expires, such as:

• Skilled Worker visa.
• Health and Care Worker visa.
• Global Talent visa.
• Scale-up Worker visa.
• Innovator Founder visa.
• Family visa.

Eligibility depends on the requirements operating when the new application is submitted.

Common Graduate Visa Application Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors:

1. Applying from outside the United Kingdom.
2. Applying after the Student visa has expired.
3. Travelling abroad while the application is pending.
4. Applying before the university reports course completion.
5. Assuming every diploma or short course is eligible.
6. Using the graduation ceremony date instead of checking the visa deadline.
7. Failing to obtain permission from a recent government or international scholarship sponsor.
8. Assuming the Graduate visa can later be extended automatically.

Is the UK Graduate Visa Worth It?

The Graduate visa can be valuable for international students who need time to enter the British job market without immediately finding a sponsoring employer.

Its main advantages include:

• No job offer required at the application stage.
• No employer sponsorship requirement.
• Flexible employment and self-employment rights.
• Ability to change jobs.
• Opportunity to gain UK work experience.

The main disadvantages are its high total cost, temporary duration, and inability to extend the route. Graduates should therefore begin searching for long-term visa options well before their Graduate visa expires.

Official Sources

• GOV.UK — Graduate Visa Overview
• GOV.UK — Eligible Courses and Study Period
• GOV.UK — Graduate Visa Costs
• GOV.UK — Required Application Documents
• GOV.UK — Apply for a Graduate Visa
• GOV.UK — Graduate Visa Dependants